"We are supportive of priorities of South African Presidency": EAM Jaishankar in Johannesburg on G20 objectives

New Delhi [India], February 21 : External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Friday expressed India's support for the priorities of the South African Presidency, which aligned with India's own advocacy during its G20 Presidency.
Speaking during the session on G20 objectives at the 2025 G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Johannesburg, Jaishankar said, "We are supportive of the priorities of the South African Presidency. They jell with what India has advocated both nationally as well as during its own G20 Presidency"
He also emphasised the importance of the G20's leadership in addressing global challenges. As the G20 enters its second cycle, Jaishankar stressed that it must prioritise collaboration over competition, accurately reflect global challenges, including food, energy, and health security, and promote women-led development.
"Some thoughts have been shared on the former in the last Session. Let me just underline that as we enter the second cycle, G20 must retain its leadership. To do that, it must be accurately reflective of global challenges in their entirety. This includes food, energy and health security, establishing digital public infrastructure, and promoting women-led development. And G20 must always put the imperatives of collaboration higher than the compulsions of competition," said Jaishankar.
He highlighted several key areas, including - International Disaster Response; India initiated the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure in 2019, which now has 42 nations and 7 organizations as members.
"On international disaster response, we support strong frameworks for preparedness, emergency response, recovery and reconstruction. India initiated the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure in 2019. Today, it has 42 nations and 7 organizations as its members. During our G20 Presidency, we established a Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group which focused on financing. Our commitment in this domain will remain strong," said Jaishankar.
On debt sustainability for low-income nations, he said that India supports comprehensive frameworks that balance development needs with fiscal sustainability.
"We support comprehensive frameworks that balance development needs with fiscal sustainability. We look forward to receiving more specifics of the South African initiative. The MDB reform roadmap whose fashioning began during India's Presidency is also relevant in this regard," said Jaishankar.
On financing for a 'Just Energy Transition', he emphasised the need for affordable and equitable financing, considering the growth imperatives and differentiated responsibilities of developing countries.
"India has always believed that it must be affordable and equitable, while considering the growth imperatives and differentiated responsibilities of developing countries. Here again, the initiative of the International Solar Alliance underlines India's commitment to global collaboration on climate action. The Global BioFuels Alliance also merits your collective coordination. Their positive results are already visible," said Jaishankar.
He called for creating transparent and resilient supply chains, cooperation in geological exploration, and sustainable mining practices for critical minerals and inclusive growth.
"We support creating transparent and resilient supply chains, cooperation in geological exploration, sustainable mining practices and transfer of relevant technologies. We recognize that this has a special potential for growth in Africa," said Jaishankar.
Jaishankar commended South Africa's efforts to address inclusive economic growth, food security, and AI for sustainable development, noting that these domains are core to India's human-centric policies.
"South Africa's endeavour to address through task forces the challenges of inclusive economic growth, food security and AI for sustainable development are commendable. In India, these domains are very much at the core of our human-centric policies," said Jaishankar.
He concluded by expressing confidence that the G20, under South Africa's Presidency, will provide leadership and solutions to key global issues.
"It has been fortuitous that four developing countries have had back-to-back Presidencies as we complete the first cycle. This has allowed developmental issues to maintain their salience in the global agenda. I am confident that as South Africa's Presidency advances, we will collectively strive to ensure that the world has good reason to look to us in providing leadership and solutions on the key issues of our times," said Jaishankar.